Directions to
Long Island MacArthur Airport
100 Arrival Avenue
Ronkonkoma, NY 11779
631-467-3210
Traveling West to East
Long Island Expressway (495), Exit 57, Take South Service Road to second light at intersection with Veterans Memorial Highway (454). Turn right on Veteran's Memorial Highway; travel approximately five (5) miles to Johnson Avenue. Look for signs for Airport; Turn left into the Airport.
Southern State Parkway, Exit 44, East, Sunrise Highway (Rt.27). Travel approximately five (5) miles to Exit 49. Take service road to second light. Turn left on to Johnson Avenue, travel north to the Airport.
Sunrise Highway (Rt.27), Travel to Exit 49. Take service road to second light. Turn left on to Johnson Avenue, travel north to the Airport.
Traveling East to West
Sunrise Highway (Rt.27) to Exit 50A. Turn right on Johnson Avenue, travel North approximately one (1) mile.
Long Island Expressway (495), Exit 60, North Service Road. Second light on service road will be Ronkonkoma Avenue. Turn left on Ronkonkoma Avenue; travel over bridge (road becomes Smithtown Avenue and then changes names). At light, turn left on Lakeland Avenue. At next light, turn left on Veterans Memorial Highway. Travel on Veterans Memorial Highway until you reach Johnson Avenue, turn left into Airport.
From Port Jefferson - LIE (495) to Nichols Road South. Take Nichols Road to Sunrise Hwy (Exit 50A) and turn right on Johnson Avenue. Travel approximately one (1) mile.
From Northeast U.S, including upstate NY
Take I-95 to I-695 (Throgs Neck Expressway). I-695 becomes I-295 (Clearview Expressway) Cross Throgs Neck Bridge. Stay on I-295 to I-495 East Long Island Expressway (LIE). Follow directions above for LIE West to East.
View Larger Map
In April 1942, four months after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, which precipitated the entrance of the United States into World War II, the Town of Islip entered into contract with the federal government to build an airfield on Town-owned land for potential military purposes during the war. Within months, the Civil Aeronautics Administration - predecessor to today’s Federal Aviation Administration - constructed three paved runways, and at the suggestion of Charles H. Duryea, a local elected official, named the airport MacArthur Airport, after General Douglas MacArthur, General of the Army.
In 1944, Lockheed Aircraft Corporation built the first hangar at the airport. Five years later, after the federal government returned the airport to the control of the Town of Islip, the Town built the airport’s first terminal building preparing the way for commercial service. Throughout the 1950s, the Sperry Corporation conducted aerospace research at the airport.
In 1960, Allegheny Airlines was the first commercial airline to offer scheduled flights to Boston, Philadelphia, and Washington D.C. The General Douglas MacArthur Terminal was completed in 1966, and a few years later, American Airlines began operating non-stop flights to Chicago.
In the 50 years since Long Island MacArthur Airport introduced scheduled air service, the airport has become a major transportation hub and economic engine of the region. Although several airlines have discontinued service over the years, during the decade between 1999 and 2009 passenger traffic grew with the airport now serving approximately two million passengers a year through its two commercial carriers: Southwest Airlines, and legacy carrier US Airways Express.
Continental Express and Continental Connection offered non-stop flights to Albany and Cleveland, but discontinued service in 2005. Spirit Airlines had scheduled service to several Florida cities and Detroit, before they moved their New York business to LaGuardia Airport in 2001. However, in May 2008, the airline resumed service to Fort Lauderdale from MacArthur Airport, only to discontinue it again shortly thereafter. Delta Express, which offered non-stop flights to Orlando and Fort Lauderdale, discontinued service at MacArthur Airport in 2003, after experiencing a decline in passenger traffic. Delta Connection to and from Atlanta ended on May 1, 2021 following a mid-April announcement that Delta and Northwest Airlines were planning to merge - a move that led to significant operational changes for the merged airline.
As of 2010, the only legacy carrier service serving the airport is US Airways Express operating short distance shuttle flights to its hub at Philadelphia Airport, where passengers can make connections to 800 destinations worldwide. Southwest Airlines offers non-stop service to several Florida cities: Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Tampa, and West Palm Beach, as well as hubs in Baltimore, Chicago, and Las Vegas, which offer connections throughout the Southwest system. In November 2010, Southwest will no longer offer direct flights to Las Vegas, but travelers will be able to get to Vegas from LIMA through BWI and MDW.